Review Summary: The xx fiddle with a new sound while exploring some interesting lyrical themes.
The xx are an English band formed in 2005 in Wandsworth, London. This is the band's third full length album and is released on the Young Turks label. The band makes indie pop that melds rock, pop and electronic elements into one. The band typically keeps things pretty simple with their instrumentals and focus on well-crafted songs and the beautiful vocal harmonies that singers Oliver Sim and Romy Madley Croft can create.
This album sees the band sticking to their core sound, but also introduces some new elements, mainly coming from member Jamie xx’s solo work. The album still has that “xx” sound focused on creating a mood, however the mood that this album focuses on is much more positive and upbeat than previous albums from the band. Take the single “On Hold,” the song starts off much like a typical song from the band would. The instrumentation staying subdued and allowing the vocal melodies to initially carry the song. However, after the first chorus, a dance-able beat comes in with a great Hall & Oates sample, and the song conveys this natural energy that really drives it for the rest of the song. The vocal melody is still great and the mood is never sacrificed, but this is the catchiest the band has ever been.
The one thing that I didn’t expect from this album was how well it flows, both instrumentally and lyrically. The album details many different situations and experiences that people go through in many types of relationships including; romantic, friendly, family. It talks about how we as individuals deal with these relationships and emotions in both good and bad times. Songs like “Say Something Loving” and “Lips” are about a budding romantic relationship. It deals with the excitement, intimacy and pressures of a newfound love. Meanwhile, songs like “Performance” and “On Hold” are about the hardships that relationships inevitably go through. “Performance” dealing with the feeling of being ignored and no matter what you do, your significant other doesn’t give you the attention and satisfaction you want from them. Then there are songs like “A Violent Noise” and “Test Me” which deal with personal problems that we as humans can go through. The album almost plays out with each song being diary entries, becoming very personal at times such as with the song “Brave for You.” The song is about Romy’s parents who both have passed away. She talks about being brave and pushing herself forward for them because that’s what she believes they would’ve wanted.
Jamie xx does a fantastic job with the production here. Not only does he make some very dance-able and fun tracks with “On Hold” and “Say Something Loving,” but every track here helps convey the proper mood that the lyrics are trying to get across. Take the song “Brave for You” the instrumental builds this atmosphere and helps Romy’s incredible vocal performance come across even more believably. “Dangerous” has a fun bass line and driving percussion, then the chorus comes in with some great horns and faint electronics to go on top. It’s simple, but it’s all the song needed to get it’s message across. The closing track “Test Me” ends with an instrumental outro that Jamie uses to sum up the emotions and experiences found throughout the album well.
Overall, I’m really enjoying this release from The xx. I like the slight shift in direction the band took sonically and while incorporating more dance-able beats, they never sacrificed what made the band special in the first place. I also found many of the lyrical themes explored on this album to be intriguing. There are a few songs here that aren’t standouts like “Lips” and “I Dare You” for me, but they serve the album well. It’s a great listen and I definitely recommend it for any fan of indie pop.
